Community
Radio in India was envisioned as the third tier of broadcasting in the
country, to be owned and operated by communities across India. The
policy for the sector was framed in 2001 after much debate and
engagement with the government by civil society organisations. While
initially the policy only allowed educational institutions to apply for
licenses, a revised policy guideline was issued in 2006 that allowed
civil society organisations to also apply for a licence to operate a
community radio station.

In the years gone by, the community radio
sector has learnt much and also has much to offer by way of its learning
to policy makers. Indeed, with the revision of the guidelines in 2006,
it was expected that the spectrum would be further within reach of the
community. Engaging the civil society sector has made that expectation a
reality.

This is also what our organisation has
learnt from our experimentation with community media since our community
radio station, 'Radio Bundelkhand' was founded in 2008. Located in one
of India’s most backward and climate-sensitive regions, Radio
Bundelkhand covers 100 villages reaching out to over 200,000 people.

In little less than 10 years, Radio
Bundelkhand has emerged as a people’s radio station that provides them
with a platform to air their aspirations, concerns and showcase their
talent. For example, women use Radio Bundelkhand to question patriarchal
norms in the society, farmers learn about sustainable agricultural
practices and local musicians use it as a launch pad to earn decent
livelihoods.

Thanks to Radio Bundelkhand, local artists
and musicians who never had any access to mainstream media due to
language and communication barriers have now got a new lease of life.
They use it to create and air their music. For the local Bundeli people,
Radio Bundelkhand is a ‘cultural powerhouse’.

Shubhkal – a campaign of Radio
Bundelkhand not only familiarised farmers of the region about climate
change adaptation techniques but created a dialogue within the community
about climate change and its impacts. Here, the community radio acted as
a bridge between the local community and an outside community of
scientists and policy-makers for a two way flow of information. Kaun
Banega Shubhkal Leader - a rural reality show on radio identified 25
change agents to address community-level social, economic and
environmental issues.

Similarly, women who work at stone crushing
units are taking charge of the radio to communicate and demystify the
science involved in ensuring health and well-being of women and girls. A
new radio series will cover some of the most tabooed topics such as
menstrual hygiene, sexual and reproductive health, pregnancy, adolescent
health etc.

In the coming years, Radio Bundelkhand aims
to influence a diverse population in its listenership area through its
radio campaigns and convert passive listeners into active radio
contributors.

In sum total, Radio Bundelkhand has strived
to reach the power of the spectrum to people who would otherwise be in
the shadows of the digital divide even today.■